The third day of FedCon XXI in Düsseldorf, Germany once again filled the convention area early in the morning. This time, a whole new crowd arrived to buy day tickets for Saturday. As the weekend tickets had been sold out for weeks, people decided to buy a ticket for the day that was said to become the highlight of the whole Convention. For most visitors, surely the arrival of William Shatner was the most anticipated part of the weekend. For Saturday, not only his panel was scheduled, but also his photo session and his attendance at the autograph session.

At FedCon, Saturday traditionally is the day reserved for the autograph session, where all of the attending star guests are signing autographs at the same time. This has proven to be a very effective method, so that the fans won't miss out any panels during the session. At 11 a.m. the first visitors were able to meet Shatner in person. He held his photo session and despite the fact that he had arrived only a few hours before and was plagued by jet lag, he welcomed every single person with a radiant smile, shared a few words and of course gave them the chance to have a unique memory of this weekend by having their photos taken with him. A huge number of fans could be seen walking out of the room with a dreamy smile on their faces, as if they were walking on clouds. Meeting James T. Kirk in person surely is an event of a lifetime.

Because of the immense rush on the photo session, a lot of people had to wait for a really long time – but they all agreed that it was worth it and an incredible experience. Also some of the other actors could be seen having their photo taken. In addition to photos, autographs and panels, FedCon also offered the opportunity for a meet and greet with Shatner to a small group of people. They had him to themselves for more than half an hour. He told them about his recent activities, his horses and also the journey to Germany. The lucky fans were also able to ask a few questions, but seemed to be so impressed by the meeting that they were not really able to ask a lot.

In the end, a number of photos of the group were shot which will be sent to the fans later on. Furthermore, a smaller meet and greet with Shatner was held in the late afternoon with only four people – they were the winners of a contest and were not only able to meet the actor, but also his wife Elizabeth, whom he introduced to them as “the most beautiful woman on Earth,” even asking the photographer to have their photo taken after the group photos with the fans were done.

Seeing someone as important to Stark Trek as Shatner on stage certainly is impressive and therefore lured more visitors to FedCon than ever before. In fact, the convention was sold out on weekend tickets and tickets for Saturday, which was surely due to Shatner’s attendance. Because of the big run for the panel, even the really large all couldn't fit in all the people who wanted to see it. In fact, only the weekend tickets were able to fit in. But as there is another, smaller hall, a live transmission was made. The people in that room of course were sad not to see Shatner in front of them in person, but he decided to pay them a surprise visit before entering the stage of the main hall -- a very touching and generous idea for which the fans loved him.

Upon taking the stage, Shatner began talking about his view on conventions – and as it turned out, he shares the opinion of many others: Going to those events is not solely about seeing their favorite actors, but about meeting other, likeminded fans, talking to them and sharing the experience. He told the audience that he wrote a book, provocatively called Get a Life, in which he tried to find out about the appeal of conventions. He also recently turned the book into a documentary of the same title, which is going to be called Fanatics in Canada, an even more provocative title. Without further ado, he then started answering questions, being very charming to the ones who had the courage to step up to the microphone.

As he had predicted, he had the habit of taking questions and turning them around in a way that fit the answer he wanted to give. Despite being at a convention full of people loving Star Trek, a lot of questions concerning his last big role, Denny Crane on Boston Legal, were asked. But of course the questions actually referring to Star Trek were the ones Shatner also loved to answer the most, especially when he explained how important it had been for them to create something that was able to please and appeal to everyone, something that included action, thoughtful scenes, but also romance – especially when it came to Captain Kirk and his numerous love affairs. He also told the excited audience about meeting J.J. Abrams about Star Trek (2009). He would of course have liked to be a part of the movie as well, but didn't seem to fit into the storyline, which he found really sad.

Something he didn't want to do, even after being offered a role, was take part in The Big Bang Theory, as he thought it was not something that might fit him. Despite the fact that the stage was really big, Shatner always remained really close to the edge – being close to the audience, and therefore having better possibilities of talking to them and seeing those asking questions. That closeness and friendliness towards his fans really captivated them, and resulted not only in standing ovations when he entered the stage, but also again when he left it.

In addition to those exiting moments the visitors shared with Shatner, there is one event that is typical for a Saturday at FedCon: The Costume Contest. It is a well-loved tradition which offers fans the possibility to present their costumes, invent their own stories and share their ideas. Afterwards, a jury consisting of experts and one or two of the star guests, decides on the winners in different categories.

As the evening went on, a lot of other panels were held. Richard Dean Anderson captivated his crowd again, as well as Matthew Bennett from Battlestar Galactica. Joe Flanigan and Kavan Smith of Stargate Atlantis shared the stage, a concept which is very popular and increases the fun for not only the actors themselves, but also for the audience.

With Saturday being the most important day at FedCon, it is also the evening that counts. As it is the last one, this party is always the one to remember, especially since Sunday is always held in a way that lets the event fade away in a relaxed sort of way.

Click HERE and HERE to read the recaps of Days 1 and 2, and visit StarTrek.com again tomorrow for a recap of Day 4's events.